Thirteen Ethiopians were seized at gunpoint along with the five Europeans on March 1 while on a sightseeing tour in northeastern Ethiopia near the disputed border with Eritrea. Five of the Ethiopians were found within days of the kidnapping. The Europeans were released March 13.
It was not clear who had seized the group. But an adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Bereket Simon, called it “a terrorist act that was taken by the Eritrean government and those sponsored by it.”
Eritrea denied having anything to do with the kidnapping and blamed it on the Ethiopian rebel group Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front. ARDUF, established in the 1990s, aims to unite Afar tribal members in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have been strained since Eritrea gained independence from the Addis Ababa government in 1993 following a 30-year guerrilla war. The two countries fought a two-year border war that ended in 2000.
Bereket said he had no details about the condition of the released Ethiopians or who freed them.
“We are happy that our citizens have come back safe and sound,” he said.
The fact that the hostages were released almost six weeks after the Europeans was “absolutely unfair and clearly shows the inhuman nature of the perpetrators,” Bereket said.
“The good thing was there was pressure from the Ethiopian people and government,” he said.
Government spokesman Zemedkun Tekle said the eight Ethiopians were still in the border area and he had no details on when they would be reunited with their families.
Eritrea denies
ASMARA, April 23 (Reuters) – Eritrea on Monday rejected Ethiopia’s assertion that Asmara had released eight Ethiopians who were kidnapped last month with a group of Europeans, saying Eritrea had never held the group.
Ethiopian state television said on Sunday the eight had been freed following international pressure on Eritrea, its foe and neighbour, which has always denied involvement in the abduction in a remote desert region.
“It’s not true. These are Ethiopians who have been taken by Ethiopians and it has nothing to do with us,” Information Minister Ali Abdu told Reuters by phone.
“I don’t know whether it’s paranoia, obsession or madness. They have developed this pattern blaming Eritrea every day and night,” he added.
The hostage saga has heightened tensions between the two Horn of Africa neighbours who fought a 1998-2000 border war that killed 70,000 people and blame each other for agitating the Somali conflict.
The Ethiopians, along with five Europeans, were seized at gunpoint in the remote Afar region of north Ethiopia in early March.
The Europeans were freed in Asmara after 12 days, but their Ethiopian guides were held until Sunday.
Addis Ababa blamed Asmara for the prolonged abduction of the eight, but Eritrea denied that as malicious propaganda.
A separatist rebel group from the Afar region — one of the hottest and barren regions straddling both countries — claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.
